Share your social networking links HERE!!!

I like to do this post every now and again so I can stay in touch with my audience and find out who you guys are. I am not only a blogger but I'm also a very avid blog reader. So if you are a fellow blogger please comment below with your blog link. This is also an opportunity for you to find some new reading material yourself, by following this thread and checking out what other people post.

No rules here, post whatever links you want to share, even if they aren't blogs (Facebook, Pinterest, etc.). You may also feel free to post your blog link here, even if you have posted it before on my page. I don't mind. I go through all the link when I have free time and try my best to follow everyone. If I miss you I'm sorry, it wasn't on purpose, so please be patient with me.

Thanks guys! I love you all!

I am thankful for each and every follower I have. :) 

Also, while you're here, don't forget to enter my current giveaway which ends in only 1 day!
CLICK HERE TO VISIT GIVEAWAY PAGE

NEW SERVICE AVAILABLE AT MY ETSY STORE- Custom polish labels! You design your label!

Have you ever wanted a "namesake" polish? 

Or are looking for a special personalized gift for a friend? 

You choose a polish from my current stock and I will custom print your label for you, to your specifications. You can add names and/or images: whatever you think would look good on the small front label. 

When ordering this product, simply tell me which polish you want in the "notes" area when you check out. Also leave instructions for what you want on your label. Be as specific as possible so I can print the label exactly the way you want it (fonts, colors, images).

* *I can personalize bulk orders for parties, gifts, or whatever suits your needs. Please contact me directly for a bulk order discount.**

My polishes are priced at $10 each (FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING AND LOW FLAT RATE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING). Personalize labels are only $2 and can easily be added to your order at the time of sale. 

If you are interested in a personalized polish or want to check out my other polishes and products visit my artisan polish store: 

THE NAIL JUNKIE ON ETSY

Thanks for reading! 

ARE YOU A BLOGGER? I want to follow you!!!

Not only do I love administrating my own blog, but I love reading blogs!

So I would love if you could share your link in the comments and I will follow you. This is also a good opportunity for you to check out some other blogs you might be interested in following. 

Thanks guys!

Are you a blogger? Leave your link! I want to follow...

I like to do this post every now and again, especially when I've gathered a few new followers. 

I love to read blogs! So please, share your blog link and I will follow you. 

This is also an opportunity for anyone who reads to gather some new material.

Are you a blogger? Share a link HERE!

I like to do this post every now and again, especially when I've gathered a few new followers. 

I love to read blogs! So please, share your blog link and I will follow you. 

This is also an opportunity for anyone who reads to gather some new material. 

P.S. Last time I did this post, I accidentally deleted 35+ comments. Yah...I know, dumb!!! Anyway, if I missed your blog last time I apologize, it was not intentional, and I won't do it again. :) 

New Blog Badge: Supporting the Indie Polish Makers

The awesome and all-around-talented Christy, from KBShimmer, designed a lovely new badge that you can use if you would like to show your support of the Indie Polish Arts on your social media pages. Feel free to copy and paste away.

Thank you Christy! 

Mini Haul, My Latest Mani, and a Summer 2012 Polish Line Release Update

My second favorite prop: Vodka!!! Second only to a luscious bottle of polish. I don't get to enjoy these chilly beverages nearly often enough. 

Here was my mini haul from Sally Beauty. I had a coupon for $10 off a $20 purchase. So I spent a grand total of less than $11!!!! Wow!!!! 

I know, I know....no pretty polishes. I am banned from buying anything that's not on my WISHLIST. I have almost filled a Helmer in just a matter of months. And to be honest, it feels pretty extreme. I am trying to be very selective about what polishes I buy and I've solemnly swore I won't over-fill my Helmer. I won't call this a no-buy...just a selective-buying period. 

I pretty much just stocked up on the necessities: acetone, Gelous, polish thinner. I have been having a lot of friends over for mani/pedis and I go through certain supplies pretty quickly. I got these nifty toe separators which I LOVE! I never use the larger ones because they hurt my toes. These are perfect!!! I got a crystal file, which kind of sucks, so I wouldn't recommend it. I also got a cheapy bottle of liquid mascara. I usually use a pencil but thought I'd give liquid a try. It was not a fun experience at all. LOL! My friends say I just need more practice. I don't know about that though, I like my make-up to be simple and quick. I picked up a gigantic birchwood stick because...well...it was big. Plus I love those things. They are handy for all sorts of nail related endeavors. I like to use them to clean under my nails and to push my cuticles back. They also work great for a variety of nail art tasks. The cashier at Sally's threw a couple sample packs of a foot soak into my bag. SCORE! I love free stuff. 

As for my mani, I finally tried out one of my polishes from the China Glaze Magnetix Collection. I bought all but one. I've used them on other people, but I had not yet tried them on myself. I am now an even bigger fan! 

This is one coat of China Glaze "Cling On", variations of the 3  magnet designs, and 1 coat of Butter London P.D. Quick Topcoat. My only real problem, was I kept touching the magnet to my fingers like a nail-tard. 

This polish was super easy to use, it was a one coater, and voila...instant nail art!!! I love these polishes and I can't wait to get the new magnets and maybe a few new colors when China Glaze releases the Magnetix II collection later this summer. 

In case you missed that release, here's a promo photo:

Now, as for the release of my Summer Line, everything is ready to go except my swatches. I am releasing a total of 6 new colors as well as 3 of the old ones.

I ripped off a pinky nail over the weekend and maimed my nails. By maimed I don't mean nubbin nail, I mean that I am freakin injured! Swelling. Bleeding. Exposed nail bed. I am no baby, but it hurt so bad and was throbbing so horribly that it kept me awake all night after it happened. So much for taking all my pictures! Here's a pic, it's not nearly as bad now. It's been a couple days and lots of nurturing later.

So I found a "hand double" (my lovely niece) to fill in for me and I'm hoping to get in a power swatching session later today. I can't make any promises on time frames though. I'm so over-committed right now. I am taking summer classes at school. I am cramming for my graduation this December. My classes aren't hard, per say, but I am really bogged down with class work. I'm taking 3 online classes right now. That's a 9 week semester class crammed into 3 weeks. I am turning in 3 page case study papers 4 times a week!!! That is no exaggeration. I love to write and I'm pumping this homework out like a pro, but between the kids, the house, my job, blogging, polish.....and that's not even the half of it. I don't have any choice but to re-prioritize on a daily basis. I hate that! I want to throw myself into launching this polish because it's ready to go. I have no choice but to put other things first sometimes.

I already have an associate degree and I'll be graduating in just a few short months with my Bachelor of Business Administration degree from KSU. I am going to throw the biggest graduation party this town has ever seen. I'm more excited to plan my graduation party than I was to plan my wedding and that's real! This is a huge life long accomplishment and dream of mine. Anyone can get married....THIS is something I am truly proud of. :)



Anyway, there's my story of what's going on in my life right now. I don't usually like to do wordy personal posts, but I've had a lot of readers ask me to start opening up a little more, so hear it is folks...a life story! :) 

Some news and the winner of my Hole Hearted Giveaway is...

The winner of my Hole Hearted Giveaway is...

Veronika!!! 

Congratulations! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've sent an email to the winner and am awaiting a response. I want to thank everyone who entered. You support of my blog means the world. 

I also have some news to share. My polish line is officially ready for sale. I am setting up a eCommerce page on my blog as we speak and I hope to have my personal store front open and ready sometime this weekend. Just to give you all a little more info, I am launching a Summer 2012 line-up of 6 new colors. In addition, limited quantities of my Matte Daffodil, Matte Rose and Matte Violet will also be available. So stay tuned for postings of swatches and updates.

Thanks again everyone!!! 

I never dreamed my little corner of the web would turn into what it has and that I would have an opportunity to share with this many people. It's truly a blessing. 

If I were filthy rich.....

One day...if the moment would arise where I'm featured on an episode of MTV Cribs.....this will be my polish room. Ha! I can wish!

My CURRENT Nail Care Routine

Yes, I change products constantly. I mean...I basically use the same types of products, but like experimenting with new things. 

I use these to "exfoliate" my cuticles and clean my nails after I remove my polish and shape my nails

Here are my clean up products. 100% Acetone is all I use. I haven't had any issues with it damaging my cuticles. I get too annoyed to scrub with any other kind. I have tried a few brands, but I always end up going back to plain old acetone. 

I use polish thinner to thin my polishes if they are old or have evaporated. I used to use acetone, but since I've heard this damages the color of polish I switched to thinner instead. It's pretty inexpensive anyway and a bottle lasts you forever. 

Current favorite base and topcoats: 

• OPI Nail Envy Original Nail Strengthener: I have noticed a marked improvement in the strength of my nails since I started using this. I suggest using a trusted brand of strengthener. I like this one because I noticed a difference. Some people might. Some people might not. 
• American Classics Bridge the Ridge Ridgefiller: I follow my nourishing base coat with a coat of a ridgefiller. My nails are super ridgy and this stuff really smooths them out and the milky pigment of the polish is just enough to make my naturally dark nails look whiter. Ridgefiller also works great for smoothing nail repairs. I suggest any brand. I like this brand, Orly, Butter London Nail Foundation, or Beauty Secrets Ridgefiller. I like a certain consistency when it comes to nail foundation, but I haven't noticed that any brand is better than another. 
• Seche Vite Fast Dry Topcoat: I haven't had a problem with the polish shrinking. But let me tell you now...this topcoat dries fast but DOES NOT PROTECT. I don't intend for it to either. I put this over fresh polish and nail art for quick drying and high gloss. I've heard a lot of name dropping for Fast Dry Topcoats. So there are a lot of these to choose from and everyone has their own opinion on them. 
• American Classics Gelous Advanced Nail Gel Coat: When my polish is absolutely, positively, rock-hard dry (like I'm talking 12+ hours after application, I usually wait a full day or so), I add a nice healthy heaping of Gelous to my nails. I like that it's thick and protects well. I have also used Oh So Wet which also worked very well. I am picky about this coat. It needs to protect, it needs to shine, and it needs to be thick.
•  I use nippers on hangnails or torn cuticles. It's quick and pain-free. People discourage using these bc you could hurt yourself. But just like with Tweezers or any beauty tool...don't be a psycho with it and be careful. Easy peasy! This is a tool that must be sharp to work. 
• I use baby nail clipper to shape my nails cut the corners off of my nails as they grow. They work great for rounding my nails. They also prevent the cracking you have sometimes with the large ones.I don't like filing my nails. I do my best to avoid it because my nails peel and break more when I use them. 
• I use just about anything to push my cuticles. If my nails are long, I use my thumbnails to push my cuticles because it doesn't scratch my nails and its gentle. Orange sticks work good too. They're gentle and they clean under the nail really well. I have a metal spoon I like a lot but I really only use it on stubborn cuticles or when I'm doing someone else's nails. 
• I use a really fine grit yellow spongy nail block to buff the free edge of my nail for like a few seconds. It's specially made for natural nails. I buff just enough to remove any crust or peeling off the edge of my nail. That's as far as I go with filing. 

Ah yesss...and here she is....

My Holy Grail Of All My Nail Products

I have this product to thank for my nails getting evenly long. I used to have a lot of problems with a few, not all, of my nails peeling and breaking. This product works wonders for quick repairs. I don't follow the directions. I have my own way of using it. I don't brush the whole nail with glue. I just use the glue and powder on a problem area. I do the process twice. Brush. Dip. Smooth (right away..don't wait for it to dry or its harder to smooth out). Brush. Dip. Smooth. Everything comes in a nice user-friendly kit that's cheap and lasts forever. I think it's like $6 at Sally's. They are always have sales on it too. There is enough product to last ages. I had a problem a few months ago with the glue bottle getting stuck. The nice cashier at Sally's Beauty gave me a new kit and suggested I put some cuticle oil around the neck of bottle where the threads are. This worked perfectly. No more stuck glue bottle. I'm still waiting for Orly to hire me to sell their product since I never shut up about it. :P

And of course MOISTURIZE MOISTURIZE MOISTURIZE!!!

I like using a lot of different moisturizers in various shapes, forms, consistencies and scents. It's my thing I guess. This is just the collection I have with my Helmer and in my purse. I have a whole 'nother collection in my medicine cabinet and next to my bed. I like oils for manicures, lotions for all day multi-use, and balms once a day to nourish. 

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my nail care routine. I'm not saying I'm right. I'm not saying I'm wrong. And since I switch it up often, I'm ALWAYS looking for new ideas and useful hints. 

So what's your routine?? 

Got any tips???

China Glaze Magnetix II 2012 Nail Polish Collection

Check out this info posted about the China Glaze Magnetix II Line:

You know I'm pumped. I bought 5 of the 6 colors from the last set. So I want the magnets for sure. I will wait till I see swatches of the colors to make my decision about those. 

Photos courtesy of China Glaze Magnetix II 2012 Nail Polish Collection | Marawei:

Broke AND FIXED a nail!! Orly Nail Rescue to the Rescue!!!

I broke a nail and I figured it was a good time to do another Orly Nail Rescue Plug. No, I don't work for them or get their products free (I WISH!). I just like to spotlight products or processes that I feel have been a great benefit to me in my nail care routine. This is one of them.

Don't get me wrong. I have my complaints. Like my glue bottle got stuck and I had to exchange my kit. When I got a new one, the cashier at Sally's Beauty Supply told me to put some cuticle oil around the inside of the lid. She said nail glue bottles get stuck if you don't. I did what she said and the new bottle hasn't gotten stuck so far. The last one was stuck like every time I used it. So whether it was the oil in the lid trick, or the fact that it was a new bottle, I haven't had this issue since.

I also think the nail file sucks ass. But any other nail file works just fine. I use a crystal file.

It was also brought to my attention that this kit is simply nail glue and acrylic powder. So instead of buying a kit, I went to Sally's looking for just those two things and came up empty handed because I didn't like the prices. It was cheaper to get this little $6 kit. It's more than enough glue and powder to last me a lifetime.

Here was a previous review I did of the product: My Unsolicited Review of Orly Nail Rescue

Since that review I've become a pro at using this stuff and can patch a nail in 30 seconds flat with barely even filing the area. Like most everything else about nail care: practice makes perfect.

I don't really use the instructions in the kit either. They say to paint the whole nail with glue. I only paint the broken area and dip it in the powder. I use it for splits in two of my right fingernails and for the occasional break. Like this one:

Before Orly Nail Rescue. It's a chip. Darn!

 For chips, since you don't have a nail in the empty area, you have to sort of build the acrylic into the space. I do this by painting the broken area, dipping in the powder and repeating that over and over till the space is filled. Let it dry. 

After Orly Nail Rescue. Buffed and painted with Ridge filler. It's ROCK HARD and has to be soaked in acetone to be removed. AWESOME!!!

Here's what the "patch" looks like polished. 

I LOVE INCOME TAX TIME!!! Helmer, Camera, Kindle Fire time!!!

I don't mind claiming "0" on my employee tax forms. Sure, they take more out, but when you have kids, it's like taking out a savings account that accrues all year.

Anyway, I paid my bills and house forward, fixed up my minivan, bought gifts for my children and then momma went shopping. Woohoo!!! I got a new camera and a Helmer and a Kindle Fire. Yay!!!

The camera was for blogging.
The Kindle was for reading blogs.
And the Helmer was for my lovely bunch of polishes. :)

• Red Helmer: I'll be sure to post new stash shots when this baby arrives and is put together and is full of polish. Can you believe I paid $25 to ship a $40 item?? I sure hope it's all I ever dreamed of. 

• A Red Camera: it's just a point and shoot. But it's certainly a step up from my cell phone. Because, in case you didn't already know, all of my blog photos were taken and edited from my cell phone camera. Not bad for a cell phone...but not quite blog quality either. So far I love this camera! I have owned 3 point and shoots in my day, all different brands (Sony, Fuji, Olympus), and I have to say, this Canon is by far the best! 

• And a Kindle Fire, that would have also been red, if that were an option: This is my first Kindle. I got it so I could read my blogs on it. So far I love it. It's super fast! I can download Android games and apps on it. I have my Netflix on it. You can surf the web super fast and of course good ol; Facebook is on there. I even have a scientific calculator on there. Just in case I ever need to create a loan amortization schedule or something. You never know. 

Snapshot on my new camera

 Oooohhh Macro shot!!!

Mmmmm...clearance Vday candy!!!!!! Don't you dare judge me!!! :P

Nails and a Kindle

My blog on my blog.......

My $7 glittery fiesta Kindle cover. Yay!!!! Glitter makes me happy!!!!

Oh...and red: That also makes me happy. I have a red problem.....

Beneath all my manis....

I don't usually do my manicures in one sitting. I like to spread it out over a few days. I usually wear naked nails around for a day...or well, nearly naked. I do my manicures in steps. Because:

• I don't have enough spare time to sit for more than 20 minutes at a time and do my nails. 
• It gives my base-coats a chance to dry before I begin layering polish or art onto them.  
• It takes me a good long while to decide what polish I'll be using. 
• It gets me around a week out of each polish change. 

Here's my routine for day 1 of my manicures: 

1. I take all my polish off with acetone and felt. 
2. I apply a cuticle removing cream and push back my cuticles with my thumbnails (they work better than any pusher and they won't scratch your nails). 
3. I then wash my hands with an exfoliating hand scrub. I use a brush to help exfoliate my nail beds. 
4. I will then shape and cut my nails with baby nail clippers. They make teeny tiny sharp cuts and are great for "rounding" your nails. They don't work well at all for squared nails. 
5. I use a buffing block to simply buff the free edge of the nail that I just cut, so the edge is smooth. I do this just a few seconds per nail. I don't like doing any unnecessary filing. 
6. If needed, I use cuticle nippers to remove any hangnails torn cuticles. 
7. I then apply a nail treatment, usually one coat. 
8. I put 1-2 layers of a ridge-filler base coat to smooth and strengthen my nails. 
9. Finally, I add oil to my nail beds because it moisturizes the nail beds and dries my polish. 

And here's what my nearly nude nails look like. I am in love with Orly Ridge-filler. You can see little fibers in it! How cool! It's a huge bottle and it's cheap!

I am always changing products or steps in the routine. What's your routine? Do you follow any of these steps? What steps of your own do you add in?